Automatic starting mechanism for internal combustion engines



D 1937. F. 'r.- CHRISTIAN 2,103,405

AUTOMATIC STARTING MECHANISM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 3 1mb 7. I Wa/ A TTORNE y' Dec. 28,1937. F. r. CHRISTIAN 2,103,405 AUTOMATIC STARTING IECHANISM FORINTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 29, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR Patented Dec. 28, 1937 AUTOMATIC STAB-TING FOB COMBUSTION ENGFrank '1'. christian, Elmira, N. 1., aldgnor to Eclipse Machine Company,

N. Y a

corporation of New York Application April 29, 1931, Serial No. 538,049

Claims. (Cl. 177-311) This invention relates to automatic startingmechanism for lntemal combustion engines and more particularly to adevice for protecting the starting mechanism and the source ofelectrical 5 energy in case the engine fails to start after apredetermined time of cranking, or in case of an overloading of thestarting mechanism such as would be caused by an attempt to start amotor vehicle with the transmission gears engaged and the brakes set, orby a Jamming of the starting gearing due to a failure to secure propermesh thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an automaticstarting mechanism embodying 18 a novel means for opening the startingcircuit after a predetermined amount of energy has been expended throughthe starting circuit without securing self-operation of the engine.

Another object is to provide such a device in which the automaticopening of the starting circult is secured by means of a heat-responsivedevice having a heating element in the starting motor, circuit.

A further object is to. provide such a device in which when the safetydevice has functioned, the

starting circuit will remain open until the operator has performed someact to close the break in the starting circuit.

Another object is to provide such a device which furnishes an audiblesignal to warn the operator of the inoperative condition of the engineor starting mechanism and remind him to disconnect the automaticstarting mechanism.

- Further objects and advantages will be apparcut to those skilled inthis art from the followins description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic illustration of one preferred embodimentof the invention; the

automatic starting switch elements being shown,

in elevation and partly in vertical section; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a second embodiment of the invention.

In Fig. 1 there is illustrated a starting motor circuit including abattery ill, one terminal of which is grounded at I l and the otherterminal of which is connected by a lead I: to an automatic 7 startingmechanism comprising a starting switch having'stationary elements I3 andI4 and a movable insulated bridging element I6. The lead I! is connectedto the stationary switch element i3, and the stationary element 14 isconnected through a single turn coil I! to a heating element it, andthis in turn is connected to the starting 55 motor 8M through a secondswitch comprising stationary elements II and. I 8 movable, insulatedbridging element 22.

The movable element I! of the starter switch is mounted on a magneticplunger 23 which is normally maintained in its upper position by means 5such as a spring 14 but which may be drawn down to close the startingswitch by a solenoid 26. Said solenoid is included in a control circuitwhich when closed, causes the solenoid 26 to be enersized to close thestarting switch. This control 1 circuit comprises the battery ll, leadl2, ammeter A, manual switch 21 (which may, as indicated, be theignition switch of the internal combustion engine) lead 28, solenoid 26,lead 29, fixed contact 3| movable contact 32, spring strip 33 and ground15 connection 34. The spring strip I; is arranged to normally hold thecontact 32 against the fixed contact 3| whereby closure of the manualswitch 21 by the operator will cause energization of the controlcircuit.

Means are provided for automatically opening the control circuit whenthe engine starts, for holding said circuit open as long as the engineis self-operative, and for delaying the closing thereof until apredetermined time after the engine 25 has come substantially to rest.As illustrated, these means include a wedge-shaped weight member 30mounted on the end of the spring strip 33 in the path of movement of aroller 31. Said roller is mounted on the end of a lever 38 pivoted at SIand having a pin 4| at an intermediate point thereof projectinglaterally between a pair of 42 and 43 on a movable magnetic relayplunger M. A voltage coil 46 and a generator coil 41 are arranged tosurround the lower part of the 86 relay plunger 44 and, when energized,attract the same downwardly. The voltage coil 48 is connected atone endby a lead II to the stationary starting switch member I, and is groundedat its other end at It. Generator coil 41 is con- 40 nected at one endby a lead II to the generator G and is also groimded at its other end at49. Relay plunger 44 is normally retained in its upper position againsta spacing sleeve I! by means such as a spring I: whereby the roller 31is maintained 45 as illustrated out of contact with the weight member llso that the contact 32 normally rests against contact 3|. r

The movable member 22 of the second switch member is biased toward openposition by means 50 such as a spring I4 and is adapted to be retainedin closed position by means of a latch 58 pivoted at I1 and having anose 58 adapted to engage under a terminal flange II of the switchmember 22. The latch ll is yieldably urged toward engag- II ing positionby means such as a spring 6! engaging the free end thereof and adaptedto move it toward a suitable stop member 62.

The-latch 56 is adapted to be moved out of engaging position by means ofan electro-magnet 63 suitably mounted adjacent the free end of saidlatch. One terminal-of this electro-magnet is grounded asindicated at 64and the other terminal is connected by means of a lead 66 to a fixedcontact '67. A heat-responsive member 68 is fixedly mounted at one endin any suitable manner as indicated at 69 and is provided at itsi'reeend with a movable contact 1| adapted to engage the fixedcontact61. 58 is arranged within the heating element iii of the startingcircuit, and the contact H is electrlcally connected to the heatingelement as indicated at ill. The heat-responsive member $8 is soarranged that a rise in temperature thereof causes the free end to movecontact H into engagement with the fixed contact 61 and thus energizethe electromagnet" 63 from the starting circuit.

In the normal operation of the device. closure of the ignition switch 21closes the control circuit, thus causing the solenoid 36 to close thestarting switch l3, i6, M. This completes the starting circuit throughthe single turn coil l'l, heating element I8, second switch I9, 22, 2i,and starting motor SM whereby the starting motor is caused to crank theengine. During this time the voltage coil 46 is energized by reason ofits connection the latter to overcome the efiect of the single turn coilIll and the spring 53, and draw the plunger 34 downwardly. Thiscauses'the lever 38 to carry the roller 3! into engagement with theweight member 36 and bend the spring strip 33 backward sufficiently tomove the contact 32 away from contact 3!. The consequent opening of thecontrol circuit causes the deenergization of the solehold 26, thusreleasing the starting switch plunger 23 whereupon the spring 26operates to open the starting switch. The relay plunger 36 is notimmediately released, however, since the voltage coil 56 is traversed bya slightamount of current generated by the starting motor spinning bymomentum in its residual field, this current be-- ing sufilcient to holdthe plunger 44 against its pole piece l3 until the starting motor hascome substantially to rest. Before the voltage coil 38 becomes entirelydeenergized, the generator G which is driven from the engine builds upsufilcient voltage to energize the generator coil t? and retain therelay plunger M in its lower position, thus holding the contact 32 outof engagement with contact 3!.

If the engine should stall for any reason, the generator coil ll becomesdeenergized and the spring 53 raises the relay plunger 44, releasing theweight member 36 which vibrates for a predetermined length of time dueto its pendulous mounting on the spring strip 33, thus giving the enginetime to come completelyto rest. when The heat-responsive member thevibration ceases and the contact 32 comes to rest against the contact3|, the starting operation is repeated.

If, however, when the ignition switch 21 is closed, the engine shouldfail'to start owing to improper functional conditions'or to a jamming ofthe starter gearing, the heating element l8 will gradually heat up theheat-responsive member 68 until the latter deflects sumciently to causecontact ii to engage contact 61. The consequent energization of theelectro-magnet 63 causes the latch 56 to be swung out of engagingposition whereby the movable switch member 22 is released and movesoutwardly under the action of spring 54, thus breaking the startingcircuit.

When the starting circuit is thus broken, the deenergization of thesingle turn coil l1 allows the voltage coil 46 to withdrawthe relayplunger it, thus opening the control circuit and releasing the startingswitch. As soon as thestarting switch opens, however, the voltage coil46 is deenergized and the spring 53' then returns the relay plunger M toits upper position, causing the starting switch to be closed again assoon as the vibrator contact 32 comes to rest against contact 3i. Thestarting switch plunger 23 and relay plunger 46 are thus caused tocontinuously reciprocate at short time intervals determined by thevibrator time delay element 33. This produces a characteristic clickingsound which warns the operator of the inoperative condition and remindshim to open the ignition switch preparatory to taking steps to secureproper starting action.

When the inoperative condition of the engine has been remedied, it isonly necessary for the operator to depress the movable switch member edon the end of the heat-responsive member 68' and electrically connectedto the heating element it of the starting circuit, the heat-responsivemember 58' being so arranged as normally to hold the switch member tiagainst the switch member Bil.

Means are provided to secure a quick break between the switch membersand ill, and to retain the switch member at in open position untilreleased by the operator. In the form illustrated, this means comprisesa yieldable detent in the formof a plunger 82 carrying a roller 83 ofsuitable insulating material which is normally pressed against one endof switch member 8i by means such as a spring 88. The switch member 8iis preferably provided with depressions 86 and iiladapted to conform tothe roller 33 and thereby cause a spring 86 to be;com-- pressed wheneverthe switch member at moves to or from its closed position.

The operation of this device is substantially similar to that previouslydescribed. It the engine fails to start, the heating element l8 causesthe heat-responsive member 68' to tend to be deflected in a direction tomove the switch member 8| away from the switch member 80. When thiseflect becomes large enough to overcome the resistance of the detent 82,the switch member ti will snap open, thus breaking the starting circuit.When the operator, warned by the ensuing clicking of the starting switchand relay plunger, has taken the necessary steps to secure properfunctioning oi the engine and starting apparatus, it is merely necessaryfor him to withdraw the detent 82 by means of the head 88 thereof, thusallowing the heat-responsive member I which has now cooled, to move theswitch member Ii to closed position. Reclosure oi the ignition switch 21will thereupon cause the automatic starting device to operate in theusual manner.

the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto;

What is claimed is:

1. Automatic starting mechanism for internal combustion enginesincluding a starting motor and means for automatically energizing saidstarting motor it the engine stalls and for deenergizing said'motor whenthe engine starts, and auxiliary means for deenergizing said motor andmaintaining the same deenergized in case the motor fails to start theengine in a predetermined time, said energizing and deenergizing meanscomprising elements rendered eiiective by the operation oi saidauxiliary deenergizing means to produces signal to theoperator in caseof such failure to start.

2. Automatic starting mechanism for internal combustion enginesincluding a starting motor and means for automatically energizing saidstarting motor ii the engine stalls and for deenergizing said motor whenthe engine starts, and auxiliary means for deenergizlng said motor andmaintaining the same deenergized in casethemotoriailstostarttheengineinapredetermined time, said energizing and deenergizing means comprisingelements rendered effective by the operation of said auxiliarydeenergizing means to produce a sustained audible signal until stoppedby the operator. 3. In automatic starting mechanism for internalcombustion engines, a starting circuit including a motor and a startingswitch, means including a control circuit for closing said startingswitch it the engine stalls, and for opening said switch when the enginestarts, and auxiliary means for opening and holding open said startingcircuit ii the motor fails to start in a predetermined time, saidclosing and opening means comprising elements controlled by said controlcircuit and rendered eilective by the operation of said auxiliaryopening means to'produce an audible warning signal.

4. In automatic starting mechanism for internal combustion engines, astarting circuit including a motor and a starting switch having anelectro-magnetic actuating plunger, means including a control circuitfor closing said starting switch it the engine stalls and opening saidswitch when the engine starts, and independent means for opening andholding open said starting circuit if the motor fails to start theengine in a predetermined time, said closing and opening meanscomprising elements controlled by said control circuit and renderedeflective by the op-' eration of said auxiliary opening means to cause acontinuous periodic reciprocation or the switch plunger.

' 5. In an automatic starting mechanism for internal combustion engines,a starting circuit including a motor and a starting switch, means forclosing the starting switch it the engine stalls, means for opening saidswitch responsive to a predetermined diminution of the cranking current,a second switch in series with said starting switch for interrupting thecranking current therethrough, and means responsive to a predeterminedexcess of cranking current for opening said second switch.

' FRANK '1. CHRISTIAN.

